Bottle-cap and method of sealing bottles



T. L. TALIAFERRO.

BOTTLE CAP AND METHOD OF SEALING BOTTLES.

' NFPLICATION FILED JULY 8,1920.

Patented June 14, 1921.

UNITED s'm'res PATENT OFFICE.

BOTTLE-CAP AND METHOD OF SEALING BOTTLES.

. Application filed July 8,

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS L. Tan aranno, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Caps and Methods of Sealing Bottles, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in bottle caps, and the process of sealing bottles.

object of the invention is to provide a bottle cap which is so constructed that the sealing material within the bottle cap may be reshaped while softened by heat for the purpose of insuring a perfect seal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle'cap of the above character wherein the metal part of the to is so constructed that it ma be reshaped or the purpose of pressing the sealing material while softened by heat into more intimate sealing contact with the parts of the bottle cap and the adjacent parts of the bottle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a process of sealing bottles wherein the sealing material is reshaped and brought into more perfect sealing with the bottle and the cap after the cap has been placed on the bott e.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a sectional view through the bottle neck having my improved bottle cap ap lied thereto;

ig. 2 is a similar view, but show ng the cap as having been reshaped for forcing the sealing material while softened by heat into intimate sealin contact between the parts of the cap and t a bottle, and

Fig. 3 is m view similar to Fi 1 but shgiving a slightly modified form 0 sealing The bottle cap is preferably formed of metal and is provided with a centralltop portion and a depending flange provided with screw threads or other securing devices, whereby the bottlecap may be firmly secured to the neck of the bottle and drawn down on to the neck of the bottle. Placed between the inner surface of the top of the cap and the neck of the bottle is formed preferably of a plastic rub r composition which is capable of softening so that it may be reshaped when sub ected to Specification of Letters Patent.

a sealinge gasket Patented June 14, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 894,684.

heat of a relatively low temperature and which retains the shape in which it is molded or formed. After the cap has been screwed onto the bottle neck and the sealing material or gasket clamped against the seat on the bottle, the cap is then subject to reshaping. ThlS is preferably accomplished by forming the top with a bulged portion normally bulged outwardly, h upon pressure, may be caused to bend inwardly and force the sealing material more intimatelyv into contact with the parts of the bottle. 7

Referr ng more in detail to the drawin my improved construction of cap will I) better understood and the method of sealing bottles will be described more in detail. I11 171g. 1 of the drawings, I have shown a portlon of a bottle indicated at 1. The bottle neck is formed with a thread 2. My improved cap consists of a top portion 3 and a depending flange 4 which is preferably threaded as indicated at 5 so as to engage the threads 2 on the neck of the bottle for securing the cap to the bottle. The lower ed e of the cap is reinforced by curling as inficated at 6. The top and the flange as shown in the drawings, consist of two separate pieces of metal joined by a seam as at 7 So far as this part of the construction of the cap is concerned, it ma be otherwise formed. As a matter of fact, t e cap may be formed of a single piece of metal if desired. The top portion 3 is formed with a central outwardly bulged or bent ortion 3. Located within the ca is a sea ing gasket 8 which as shown in igs. 1 and 2, is in the form of a disk. This sealing gasket is preferabl formed of non-vulcanized rubber and is plastic and capable of being reshaped when heated to a relatively low temperature and retained in the shape in which it is molded when cooled. In other words, the gasket is not an elastic article capable of springing back after being released from pressure. The cap is placed on the bottle and the gasket clamped against the seat at the extreme the cap and tents of the bottle is heated for sterilizing, or if the contents placed in bottle is hot, the heat incident thereto will soften the gasket 8. If the contents is" not hot, this gasket may be softened by applying heat to the bottle cap. The essential point is that the gasket shall be softened b heatin after the cap is placed on the bottle neck. hile edge'of the bottle neck, after which the conthe gasket is softened through the heat applied thereto, the outwardly bulged portion 3 is forced by ressure inwardly as indicat-' ed in Fig. 2. is inward bending of the metal will force the gasket outwardly against the flange 2 of the bottle cap and will also force the gasket material more intimately into contact both with the seat 9 at the extreme outer end of the bottle neck and the parts of the cap adjacent thereto. When the gasket cools, it retains its shape, and the sealing of the bottle is insured.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings, I have shown a sealing gasket as indicated at 10 in the form of a ring, otherwise the cap and gasket are similar in construction to that shown in Fi .1 and 2.

y improved process of sealing bottles consists in the applying of the screw cap having the plastic gasket therein to the bottle, and then subjecting the gasket to heat to soften the same, after which the metal is reshaped to force the gasket material into more intimate contact with the extreme end of the bottle neck and the adjacent parts of the cap to form a more perfect seal. The bottle and cap are then permitted to cool and the gasket will remain in this reshaped condition, effecting a perfect seal of the bottle.

It is obvious that the construction of the cap may be changed from that shown in the drawings, also that other ways of reshaping the can may be devised, the essential features consisting in the use of a gasket which softens at low temperature and a cap which may be reshaped to bring about a reforming of the gasket in place on the bottle and between the neck of the bottle and the cap, which reforming causes the gasket to make more intimate contact with the associated parts of the cap and the bottle, and thus form a seam.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A bottle cap consisting of a top portion and a depending flange, a plastic gasket located in said cap adjacent said top portion and adapted to soften by heat at a relatively low temperature whereby said gasket may be reshaped through a bending of the metal of the ca said cap being so constructed whereby t e same may be reshaped so as to force the gasket when softened into more intimate sealing contact with the bottle and the 0gp after said cap is placed on the bottle.

2. bottle cap consisting of a top portion, a depending threaded flange, said top portion having an outwardly bulged central section adapted to be bent inwardly after the cap is placed on the bottle, and a plastic sealing gasket adaptedto soften by heat at a relatively low temperature located in said cap and-adapted to be pressed by said cap against the neck of the bottle, said gasket being so disposed that the inward bending of the bulged portion of the top of the cap will force the sealing gasket into more inti-' mate contact with the bottle cap and the neck of the bottle.

3. A process of sealing bottles consisting in securing thereto a bottle cap having a gasket of plastic sealing material disposed between the top of the cap and the mouth of the bottle, which gasket is adapted to soften by heat at a relatively low temperature and reshaping the bottle cap-after it is attached 1 to the bottle and while said sealing material is softened by heat for causing said sealing material to make more intimate contact with said cap and bottle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

THOMAS LUCIEN TALIAFERRO. 

